Some 5,430 people will be diagnosed with CML this year, the U.S. National Institutes of Health estimates. Synribo has been sanctioned to treat cases in which two other specific anti-cancer drugs have failed to stop CML's progression, the FDA said Friday in a news release.

Synribo is designed to be injected twice daily in different regimens for a number of consecutive days until white blood cell counts normalize, the agency said.

The most common adverse reactions observed during clinical testing included anemia, a drop in white blood cells, nausea, weakness, fatigue, and injection-site reaction.

Synribo is marketed by the Israeli drug maker Teva Pharmaceuticals, with U.S. headquarters in Frazer, Pa.